Student Achievement Measure for Doane College

Last year Doane College signed on as an early adopter of the Student Achievement Measurement (SAM) project designed to improve reporting of student progress and graduation.

SAM is a joint initiative of six higher education associations in Washington, D.C., with the goal to enhance transparency and provide the public with comprehensive information on student success.

According to the SAM website, nationally more than one in five students who complete a degree do so at an institution other than the one where they started, according to a recent study by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Yet the typical method for calculating graduation rates, as stipulated by federal legislation, counts only those students who enroll and finish at their first college or university.

SAM provides an improved way to report student progress and graduation by including a greater proportion of an institution’s undergraduate students as well as tracking students who enroll in multiple higher education institutions.

Doane’s participation in SAM is part of the college’s commitment to accountability and openness to students and their families, and supports our ongoing efforts to increase completion and success.